The main route (from The Lido) all the way up the Grand Central Canal and back - I think it's the number one - calls in pretty much everywhere. Don't buy a tour, simply get one of the three day passes from the tourist office which offer unlimited travel, grab a bottle of wine and the first seats at the front you can get and spend a goodly amount of time cruising up and down getting off wherever you fancy. The boat calls at pretty much every stop along the way, so you'll get to see all of it over a fairly long period of time.
Murano is nice for a quick trip out, and if the weather's nice, take a day on The Lido (with the iconical Campari sign). The public beach gets a bit crowded if it's nice out, but the amble up to it from the bus stop is a nice little diversion. There's also a top hotel half way up with an outside terrace, cocktail pianist and white-jacketed maitre D's which is well worth a booking if you fancy a special meal out in slightly quieter surroundings than on the main island. Via Lepanto has a number of bijou restaurants that you couldn't really swing a cat in, but put who also tables out by the canal where you can have a great little meal while you watch the world go by.
Also, it's a little way out of the centre and a wee bit quieter, so make a point of taking her up the Arsenale. Arf!

to pay a small fortune to sit and have a coffee in St.Marks square, or any other "touristy" areas

red hooded coats.

The vaparetto all the way from Fondamenta Santa Lucia to the far side of Venice, the to Lido, Muranno and Torcello and back.
A traghetto across the Grand Canal (50c. per crossing - you stand up on a wobbly de-commissioned gondola).
Where possible take back alleys. Main streets, particularly between the Rialto Bridge and San Marco, can be hellish. You're going to get lost anyway and might as well get used to the idea.

The Academia and Guggenheim galleries are both superb (and in easy reach of each other).
If you're on a budget, the bars and restaurants in Campo Santa Margherita in the university district in Dorsoduro are better value than elsewhere in Venice.

is it's a tad quiet in the evening, even I imagine by Massive standards didn't quite have the buzz of say large spanish town or similar does lean towards the sedate.

really nice pasta in the shops by the water

panino is singular, panini is plural and paninis doesn't make sense.

Buon viaggio!

wax that board - the surfing's awesome.

...if you're arriving at the proper non-Ryanair airport, that is. Magic. Expensive, mind you (upwards of 100 euro), but they hold 10 people so you may be able to sort out sharing beforehand. If a place to stay isn't sorted, have a look at Pensione la Calcina (http://bit.ly/cquAFm). You may or may not care that Ruskin stayed there, but it's a great place, somewhat off the beaten track with great views and fairly close to everything. Apart from that, try and make time for just wandering, as opposed to dashing from one high spot to another.

...if you're arriving at the proper non-Ryanair airport, that is. Magic. Expensive, mind you (upwards of 100 euro), but they hold 10 people so you may be able to sort out sharing beforehand. If a place to stay isn't sorted, have a look at Pensione la Calcina (http://bit.ly/cquAFm). You may or may not care that Ruskin stayed there, but it's a great place, somewhat off the beaten track with great views and fairly close to everything. Apart from that, try and make time for just wandering, as opposed to dashing from one high spot to another.

a bunch of native sophisticates imbibing what appears to be Irn Bru-it isn't. It's Aperol Spritz. Less tart than Campari, and lower in alcohol.
Go for a walk round Santa Croce. It's the Venice the tourists rarely see.

'Venice for Pleasure' by J.G. Links is one of the best guides to any city.

fave place on planet for myself and FPO.
Been there about six times through the years.
I presume if you are going shortly it will be pre summer.
Even off season it has many charms.
Most of the movies featuring Venice (I have a special section in my DVD collection) were shot out of season.
Eateries are a rip off around St. marks square, so try University area or near the Train Station.

Found a brilliant alley (cannot describe where) where there was a take out Pizzeria across from shop which sold wine from large containers which was siphoned into plastic bottles such as 2 litre coke bottles. You could have a great night for a few euros and try telling that to the youth of today.

favourite part - day trip to the islands - Murano, Burano and Torchello on a vaparetto. Torchello is the furthest out and magic if you are into history. All for a few euros.

Best way to arrive into Venice - by train.
Walk through the front door of the station and Venice is at your feet.

The normal busy city life - except all on water.

Enjoy.

that doesn't have menus of every language stuck in the window. The ones that don't are full of English people.

Don't watch The COmfort Of Strangers before you go. Make sure it's not raining.

Otherwise, enjoy!

1) the Scuola di S Giorgio degli Schiavoni - 8 paintings by Carpaccio, on the theme of S Giorgio and S Girolamo - which are beautiful and surprisingly funny and witty.
2) Torcello - climb the campanile
3) S Giorgio Maggiore - the view from the campanile is better than that from San Marco ( but do that one too).
4) The Frari church - tomb of Monteverdi, huge memorial to Canova.
5) The Pala d'Oro in San Marco - they charge extra for it, but it's amazing - also visit the balcony there.

and all the obvious things. I have never seen the clock tower in the Piazza - it always had scaffolding round it, but I know it's been removed now. Some other building you want to photograph will have scaffolding round it. (Wingrave's First Law of Tourism).

If you like churches, get a Chorus card, which allows entry to 15 for far less than the price of each one (even further discounted if you have a Venicecard for travel).

The cemetery at S Michele is good - Stravinsky, Diaghilev, Ezra Pound and others.

If you're buying glass, buy in Murano, where it's much cheaper than in shops around the Piazza. I've seen a markup of 400%.

If you don't want to get lost, the AA City Pack has an excellent map - every little calle is on it.

Have a wonderful time..

classic sleeve!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assumption_of_the_Virgin_(Titian)

Try your library to see if they have the book and/or DVD of Francesco da Mosta's Venice series.

while you're there.

this Dead Lagoon by Michael Dibdin
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dead-Lagoon-Zen-Michael-Dibdin/dp/0571173470/ref...

... you can do it from the hotel window.

and just pop down to toys r us. Check out the doge palace in lego ruskin will spinning in his handcarved gothic mausoleum!
http://www.wackyowl.com/amazing-venice-city-built-lego/

It's on San Michele island and well worth the trip. Many of the great and the good are buried there, including Stravinsky, Diaghilev and Ezra Pound.

San Michele is off the northern shore of Venice (it has high walls and cypress trees). The island is on the route of the regular vaporetto services 41 and 42 to Murano (a combined trip can fit in well with general sightseeing). The stop is called Cimitero and is one stop from the Fondamente Nove. The church of San Michele is also worth a visit - it's closed at lunchtimes.

... to all of you who've passed on useful suggestions.

Peggy Guggenheim's museum is excellent if are into modern art and the Doges Palace is great. Getting slightly drunk and getting lost at night in Venice was one of the best nights I have ever had in my life.An amazing place and I'm very jealous. Enjoy!

You will see many great scenes in the back streets and definitely visit the Jewish quarter and the fish market.

Avoid Harry's Bar for the over pricced Bellinis.

Avoid trips to the glass factories where they will try and pressurise you into buying something.

Otherwise enjoy it, it is a great City.

we found a restaurant called Do Farai in the Dorsoduro district. Phone number 041 277 0369.

The food was fantastic and we were the only non Italians in the place. One of our number spoke Italian and the owner told him that the tourist restaurants only feed people once. 'I need my clients to come back every week. That's why my food is so good.' Highly recommended.